Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-02-03


full valleys, rending and disfguring
great cities as well as simple villages,
1 begin, looking thoughtfully around
on the young lives which had sprung
into being since that terrible period
.tBut your mother can tell you many a
tale of those days." and 1 glanced for
confederation at her whose womanly
resignation of her claims as young
wife had but endeared her the stronger
to me.
"You know that l had just begun my
practice when the war broke out, and
that l left your mother and my new
home and entered the service as army
surgeon. Many and sad were my eX-
periences in the brayely won and nobly-
endured sufferings of our men; and, in
Justice to those others, our enemies,
let me say that among the
wounded prisoners brought to me
for treatment / found endurance as
manfully displayed, agony as patiently
supported. One day the heat had been
intense; the hospitals, crowded with
bruised and MANNED humanity, were
close and sitting in the absence of that
best medicine for man, fresh air. A
battle had taken place, and the hands
of doctors and nurses were well filled,
and our brains, had we stopped to con-
slider those hardly-worked machines,
were weary and oppressed with their
ever increasing burdens of care and
anxiety; for sympathy, like other lux
uries, we had no time, though perhaps
our busy fingers felt and applied the
gentle emotion which our teeming
minds could not contain. 1t was to-
ward dusk, and still the ambulances
continued to bring new victims requir-
ing shelter and attention.
"'What shall we do, JacksonP' said
to a brother surgeon. If this goes on
much longer we shall be unable TO ac-
commodate them. Every ward is full
now, and our material for emergencies
is about exhausted.
"'Don't know, I'm sure,' he replied,
helplessly. I'm about worn out. Had
no sleep last night, and would give a
small fortne for a glass of wine, only it
seems like robbery to take it. Feel
guilty even if 1 apply a quinine pill to
my own use, somebody sure to need it
more. Halo! here's a fresh batch!'
And our conversation was nipped short.
II moved forward to reply to the
questions of nurse, and in doing so
caught sight of prisoner, wounded
and helpless, whom they were bringing
in. He was lad. scarcely more than
seventeen. His gray uniform was
stained and tattered. His left arm lay
inertly, evidently shattered, on the
wooden stretcher, while his right was
tossed above his head, and the white,
boyish hand was partially hidden in the
unshorn, tangled masses of his sunny
hair. The eyes were closed, and the
dark fringe of their lashes, unusually
thick and heavy lay like dusky shadow
on the fair, white skin; pitifully white
it was, and so delicately fair that it
seemed rather the face of girl than of
a soldier. A great throb of pity moved
me at the sight; not even the demands
of my duty could prevent the overpow-
ering tide of emotion from acting upon
me. Quickly forgetting the nurse by
my side in this new interest, ap-
preached the men who bore him.
"'Where are you taking him?'
asked.
"'No. 5O6,' one answered. Don't
think there's any bed for him. Every
things full
"'Follow me, ordered, a quick idea
flashing upon me. Itraversed the ward
and an adjacent passage-way, and
opened the door of small room re-
served for the doctors, in one corner of
which stood the bed which l shared
with Jackson. The room was occupied
by two or three of my associates as 1
entered, who raised inquiring eyes at
the interruption.
"'Tm sorry. boss I said, with curt
breyity, but there's no help for it. l
can't let this child go with the herd
I'll make it all right with Jack and
mOtioning to the men, l soon had the
patient bestowed to my own satisfac-
ton; with the aid of nurse undressed
him and discovered the nature of his |
wounds.
THAT they were serious enough, a
quick survey satisfied me; a bullet !
SCATTERING the left arm had penetrated |
the body, just above the lung, in so
nearly fatal manner that any exer-
ton or excitement would bring on !
hemorrhage which could have but one |
result. He was quite unconscious, 'and |
having set and splintered his arm, 1 |
left the nurse with him and fastened |
about my other duties. According to |
our prearranged system it was my |
night to sleep, and sorely 1 required |
rest; but, knowing that the much
needed nurse could not be spared to at !
tend a single patient, 1 resolved to take |
that duty upon myself, and made siren
uous efforts to keep awake.
THE delicate skin was flushed and |
favnrad now. tho UvoDdar;nor eooeo. |